The Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, in its Report on Government Services 2005, estimated recurrent expenditure on justice in 2003-04 was approximately $380 per person. This excluded spending by governments on items such as justice-related capital works (i.e. new police stations, prisons or court facilities). Total recurrent expenditure was $7.6 billion (b) in 2003-04; $5.2b was spent on police services and $1.6b on corrective services (table 11.2).

Between 1999-2000 and 2003-04 and after adjustment for changes in prices, expenditure on corrective services grew at an annual average rate of 4.6%, while civil courts administration decreased at an annual average rate of 4.9%.

11.2 GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON JUSTICE(a)(b)

1999-2000(c)

2000-01

2001-02

2002-03

2003-04

Growth(c)(d)

Justice sector

$m

$m

$m

$m

$m

%

Police services

4,633.7

4,588.9

4,731.0

5,043.8

5,163.5

2.7

Court administration - criminal(d)

469.6

427.4

427.1

424.9

423.5

-2.6

Court administration - civil(e)

524.2

368.9

336.7

419.5

429.1

-4.9

Corrective services

1,314.9

1,340.8

1,449.6

1,545.5

1,571.4

4.6

Total justice system

6,942.5

6,726.0

6,944.5

7,433.7

7,587.6

2.2

(a) In 2003-04 dollars.(b) Excludes payroll tax.(c) Care needs to be taken in comparing court expenditure in 1999-2000 with future years. In 1999-2000, court administration net recurrent expenditure included only a small portion of total revenue collected by courts. This has been rectified from 2000-01 and accounts for the large drop experienced in net recurrent expenditure in the following years (particularly in the civil courts).(d) Includes the cost of Magistrates' (including electronic and Children's), District/County, Supreme and Coroners' courts.(e) Includes Magistrates' (including Children's), District/County, and Supreme courts, Family Court, Federal Court of Australia and the Family Court of WA and the Federal Magistrates Court. The Federal Magistrates Court was included for the first time in 2001-02. The data exclude the cost of probate hearings for all years.

Source: Steering Committee for the Review of Commonwealth/State Service Provision, 'Report on Government Services 2005'.